Friday, August 8, 2014

The Merritt C. Becker Jr. University of New Orleans Transportation Institute has
received a 2-year $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
to research better ways to secure the nation's port facilities.

The Merritt C. Becker Jr. University of New Orleans Transportation Institute has received
a 2-year $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to research
better ways to secure the nation's port facilities.

"DHS is tasked with devising strategies to minimize the consequences of terrorism,
crime and natural disasters in a maritime domain," said Bethany Stich, associate director
for research with the UNO Transportation Institute.

"However there is not a lot of data to help predict how, when and where terrorists
will attack. In order to address this vulnerability, DHS needs new cost-effective
approaches and technologies to better understand maritime risk, threats and resilience."

The goal of the research is to develop a tool where different types of threats and
responses can be simulated to determine the most efficient way to secure port facilities
with the least amount of disruption.

The UNO Transportation Institute will build on its long-standing relationship with
local and regional maritime agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard and other government agencies,
and the Port of New Orleans to identify all of the mitigation measures pertinent to
the region.

UNO will collaborate on this project with researchers from LSU and Florida Atlantic
University.